


When it all comes down

by Vicky87



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst and Feels, Chloe Decker Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gambling, Lucifer Morningstar Needs A Hug, Post-Season/Series 04, Sad Chloe Decker, Sad Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27695561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vicky87/pseuds/Vicky87
Summary: Lucifer’s absence has hit Chloe hard, driving her down a dark path of alcoholism and gambling. When a certain Devil makes a reappearance will he be able to help or has she fallen into a hole that even he can’t get her out of it?
Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 67
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So here we are, what will probably be the last fic I post in 2020. This one’s only 8 chapter chapters so it’ll take us to around Christmas to post as I’ll be posting it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
> 
> This fic was inspired by of course the song used in Season 3 and also the Season 5 BTS backward Instagram post of Lauren with a deck of cards. Also there’s a couple of songs that I found after writing it that kind of match the mood of at least some of this fic for Chloe:
> 
> Ruelle’s The Other Side & Ashley Nite’s Say Anything
> 
> So let’s get started shall we! Enjoy!

The faint sound of music and the smell of cigarette smoke filled the air as Chloe sat in her Boss’ gambling establishment, cradling a glass of bourbon between her hands gazing down at the remainder of her poker chips. As she lifted the glass to her mouth and gulped down the drink, she thought about what had brought her to this moment.

At first, she’d wanted to be able to talk to someone about how she felt but who could truly understand what she’d been going through. She had tried her hardest to get some sense of normality back into her life, throwing herself back into her work, taking care of Trixie, but it was always undone if she heard a rapid knocking on the door, or caught the briefest glimpse of a tall, dark stranger in a suit. All the excitement bubbling inside of her only to answer the door and be disappointed or for the person to turn around after she’d called out Lucifer’s name and find out it wasn’t him. The repeated disappointment slowly ate away at her, leaving a gaping Lucifer sized hole in its wake.

She peeled back her cards slightly; ace of hearts, ace of clubs and a king, she liked her chances. She threw 4 chips into the centre of the table, “I bet 400.”

As the second round betting began, Chloe discarded the two cards that were useless to her and was handed two more. As she bet the last of her chips, somewhere on the other side of LA Lucifer was on the prowl for a couple of unruly demons that had decided to ignore his orders. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to do this either. He thought after ruling in Hell for what he’d thought was about 6 months on earth that they wouldn't continue this folly any longer. His senses had grown keener since he’d been back in Hell so he could smell the Demon's trail quite easily. Luckily, none of them had gone after Charlie…or Chloe.That at least was a mercy, because he knew that it would hurt them both too much if they saw each other again. He took a deep breath in through his nose; the smell of death...and demonic malice. They were close. He looked around at his surroundings, it was late at night and he was currently in downtown LA, with the sound of sirens in the distance and a row of shuttered shops and the occasional alley to his right. All of a sudden, he heard a scream coming from an alley in the distance, he started running, fully aware of what he would find when he reached his destination. He dived around the corner and found what appeared to be 2 human men who had ganged up on a young woman, whimpering but frozen in place against a brick wall at the end of the alley. Guessing from her short black leather skirt and red low-cut top she must have been walking home from a nightclub. He was certain she was regretting walking home unaccompanied now.

“You two, stop what you’re doing NOW!” The demons peered over their shoulders and seeing that the gig was up, they dropped to their knees, bowing to their King. He turned to the girl. “Run!” she was still frozen in place; he was going to have to do something he hated doing to innocents. His eyes glared a fiery red, “NOW!” he roared. He hated that look, the unadulterated fear, like he was scariest things she had ever seen, the stuff of nightmares. The woman sprinted out of the alley and then Dad only knew where. Now to deal with these two, should he kill these two idiots or just “convince” them to go back? He looked back at his demons who were still on their knees, their eyes fixed on the ground below them. “You know that I told you and your brethren that you were not to set foot on Earth again…but some of you just don’t listen.” He grabbed them both by the throat, pulling them both up off their feet, feeling their pulses racing against his hands. He wanted to squeeze harder until their carotid artery burst and they choked in what remained of the blood in the bodies they’d possessed. Unfortunately, he knew that would be too messy and he didn’t want an unnecessary scene for Chloe to have to solve. He glared at both the demons, “IF I let you live, will you promise you will NEVER be so stupid as to do this again” A dark smile spread across his face, “because as you know I’m very good at knowing when someone is lying to me.”

“No…no we promise…we’ll never…” the demons pleaded.

“Good, now go home!”

The demons vanished leaving Lucifer holding up two lifeless bodies. He let go of them letting them drop to the floor.

Now he just needed to get rid of the bodies. Luckily, he'd also honed another skill during his many months in Hell. He looked at the bodies of the humans that had housed the Demons, focusing all his energy on them. They burst into flames, bright blue in colour more powerful than any human or “act of dad” could create. Within seconds the bodies were just piles of ash in the cold and dark alley.

Right, now that was done, he just needed a place where he could fly home without warranting any unwanted attention. He walked out of the alley turning right. As he was walking, he could hear cheering, arguments and what sounded suspiciously like tellers asking people to place their bets ….and that could only mean one thing, an underground casino! He turned to see a light coming from a door down the alley to his right and what looked suspiciously like a doorman. He really needed to get back…buuut one drink and a tiny bit of illicit gambling wouldn’t hurt anyone. Luckily, he still kept money on him…just in case. He walked up to the entrance smiling as he gave the doorman a $100 dollar note.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe reacts unexpectedly when reminded of Lucifer.

Chloe stared down at the table and the empty space where her poker chips used to be. She used to have lady luck on her side, but not anymore. There used to be a time when she could see people's tells but her brain had gotten increasingly foggy over the last few months. She rubbed her face. She really needed another drink! Just as she was about to put her hand up to signal the waitress, Cyndie Lauper’s _Time after Time_ blasted out of the sound systems. After Lucifer had left, she’d found the playlist that he’d had made for their date, the one that was going to be used to poison him and send him back to Hell. Turned out she didn’t need to do that to accomplish what Kinley wanted. She hated this song. It talked about someone being there for someone and where was he, “Turn it off” she shouted, the music continued. “Turn it off, now!” still nothing happened. She got off her seat staggering towards the sound system. There she found what she thought was one of her boss’ goons, Big Ego small brain, 

“I’m listening to it here, it’s the Mrs favourite song”, he winked at a woman across the room with long blonde hair with a slim figure and boobs that she was sure were bigger than the size of her IQ. A match made in Heaven! 

“Shut…it…off,.” she snarled through gritted teeth.

“What you gonna do about it,” he grinned back at her, _big_ mistake.

She looked around and caught sight of the subwoofer sound bar hanging from the wall. She waited until he’d turned around to talk to one of his buddies nearby and ripped it from its brackets. She swung it full force feeling it connect with the back of his head, he flew forward hitting the edge of the roulette table. He cried out in pain, stumbling backwards holding his nose, the blood gushing through his fingers. She laughed, he must have broken it, served him right for not listening to her.

A stout man with a receding hairline, wearing a dark grey suit that looked at least one size too small for his expanding waistline marched over, “What the Hell Decker! That soundbar cost a small fortune, I’m docking the cost of a new one from your wages.”

_Worth it._

He waved over two burly men, both suited and booted and at least 6 foot 3, “Get her out of here!” 

Chloe glared at them as they escorted her from the building.

Lucifer was sitting at the blackjack table, shocked at what he had just witnessed. The Devil had never expected to see her in a seedy place such as this, let alone working for a _Crime Boss_!? When he’d walked into the Casino, he’d instantly noticed the Detective sitting at the Poker table. What was she doing here, and on a work night no less? If they had solved a case before the day was done, then she always wanted to make sure she was back in time to tuck her offspring into bed and kiss her goodnight. Not wanting her to see him, he'd snuck towards the Blackjack Table where he could hide in the shadows but still observe her. He recognised the song and the way she’d reacted to it could only mean one thing, She’d found his playlist, the one he started playing on his “date” with Chloe, after Kinley had got his claws into her. It still hurt now, like a wound that refused to heal completely. 

Chloe had always reprimanded him for not keeping his emotions in check so to see this unbridled anger disturbed him greatly. There was always a sort of sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes but now there was none, there was only sadness and pain. It broke his heart to see it. He had to do something…talk to someone who might know what had happened in his absence. But who? Ah of course why hadn’t he thought of it before. Daniel! It was one of those moments where he really wished he had his phone...and his Corvette. As he looked around trying to think of his next step, he caught sight of a petite blonde who was staring hungrily at him biting down on her bottom lip, he only had eyes for the Detective, but needs must. He put on his most alluring smile as he walked over to her, “Hello there, I was wondering whether I could procure your phone?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer goes in search of Dan and inadvertantly stumbles into a father and daughter talk he never expected to hear.

Miles away in his small apartment, sat Dan, nursing a beer and watching 'America's Got Talent'. He was hoping the mindless show would keep him from thinking about everything that had happened over the last few months, but it wasn't working. It never worked. Ever since Lucifer had left, everything had been knocked out of whack. It had started with Chloe being in a sort of daze, not being able to hold her concentration for more than a couple of minutes which caused delays in cases and sub-standard interviews. Then she’d started drinking. She tried to hide it but he could smell it on her breath whenever they talked. Eventually it escalated to her becoming short tempered and physically abusive towards suspects. It was the last straw for the Lieutenant at their Precinct when she threatened a suspect with her gun.

That wasn’t the worst of it, because it hadn’t just affected Chloe’s work.In an effort to fill the hole in her heart, Chloe had taken to gambling and it had quickly spiraled into an addiction. She had lost all her savings forcing her to take out high interest loans to keep afloat. When she was fired, she stopped letting him into the apartment to get Trixie, only peering around the and using her body to block his view of the inside. He really didn't need to see inside anyway because her appearance told him enough. Her clothes were dirty and her hair was greasy and it smelt like she hadn't showered in weeks. 

This turned out to be the tip of the iceberg. Trixie had complained about being hungry but he just thought that it was because she was a growing kid and her appetite was increasing. Even after all this he refused to believe that she would do anything that could hurt Trix…and then it happened. 

The final blow came one quiet evening while he was sitting on the sofa drinking from an ice-cold bottle of Budweiser and watching the LA Dodgers play the Giants when his cell phone went off. It was one of the other cops, Frank Lipkowitz from the Precinct, letting him know there had been a fire at Chloe’s. Luckily there had only been minimal damage and Trixie was fine. He asked Frank whether Chloe was OK only to learn she hadn’t been there at the time of the fire, in fact Trixie hadn't seen her mom for about three hours. He tried calling Chloe about it, to find out where she had disappeared to but got no response. Frank had tried to keep it on the down low but a neighbour had called DFS who then gave temporary sole custody of Trixie to him.

DFS interviewed a lot of people including friends and former colleagues and a custody hearing for Trixie was booked. It was bad, Chloe sometimes wouldn’t turn up to the hearing dates which would cause delays and when she did, she was late and prone to outbursts. Linda was asked to testify but she told the judge she didn’t have the heart to go in person as both the parents were her friends. The judge agreed and let her submit her written recommendations in regards to where Trixie should be placed; “ _ It is in my medical opinion that given the current mental state of the mother (Chloe Jane Decker) that it is in the child’s (Beatrix Espinoza) best interests that sole custody be given to the father (Daniel Espinoza) at this time. _ " The judge looked at this and other evidence raised and placed Trixie with him. Watching her walk down the steps of the court house, a blank look in her eyes, her shoulders hunched as she wrapped her arms around herself heading toward the parking lot was the last time they saw her.

Dan had hoped that having Trixie leave that environment and live with him would allow her to escape dysfunction and be the normal happy child she had always been. He was wrong, however, and he was going to have to deal with the issue sooner or later. He turned his head in the direction of her bedroom, “I need to talk to you Trixie!” He never thought that he would need to have this sort of conversation with his daughter. She’d always been so good, kind to others. The only times she’d ever done anything out of character was because of Lucifer’s influence and he hadn’t been around for months. 

Trixie came out of her room and joined her Dad on the sofa.

“The Teachers have told me you’ve been talking back to them and that you hit a boy in your class.”

“Brendan said bad things about mom. He said she was a drunk and deserved everything that had happened to her. I got angry and I punched him because it’s  _ my _ fault that Mommy lost our house and…why I’m not living with her anymore. She shouldn’t be punished,  _ I  _ should.”

Ah man! Linda had warned him in his sessions that this might happen. She had explained that some children tend to put themselves at fault for anything that may happen as a result of the parent’s addiction.Ge never thought that Trixie would fall into such a trap, but here it was. He took a deep breath in and tried to recall all the pointers that Linda had given him. 

“OK come over here Trix.” He said, clicking off the TV and patting the cushion next to him. She crawled over to him and he put his arm around her hugging her, “First off, this is not your fault, I want you to know that. It’s just when Lucifer left your Mom got really sad.”

Trixie looked up at her Dad, “Because she loves him?”

He laughed, she was so smart for someone so young, “Yes honey because she loves him.” Even now he still didn’t quite understand why. The dude was an asshole, always ignoring protocol and putting his and Chloe’s lives in danger. Somehow though no matter how much he annoyed her, you could always see the slightest hint of a smile that she’d try and hide. The way her eyes would light up whenever he made her laugh…that had all disappeared when Lucifer left. “Your mom’s found it really difficult to cope since he’s been gone and so she started drinking and playing games to try and make herself feel better.”

Trixie looked at her Dad confused, “But it didn’t work because she’s still sad.”

This was so hard, he wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hands, “That’s because neither of those things can make you feel better, the best way is finding someone to talk to...You know you can talk to me, right?”

Trixie smiled back at him, “I know Daddy.”

“And if you feel like you can't, Linda is happy for you to talk to her about this or anything else that might be worrying you.”

Trixie nodded hugging her Dad a little bit tighter, “I love you Daddy.”

“I love you too honey.”

All of a sudden there was a crash from outside, Dan let go of Trixie and walked to the window glancing outside, but he couldn’t see anything suspicious.

“What was it Daddy?”

Dan turned around looking at his daughter, “Probably a stray cat that knocked over a loose trash can lid. Come on, why don’t you go pick out a bedtime story, I’ll be there in a minute.”

_ Phew!  _ Lucifer had managed to duck down just in time, his heart was still pounding as he sat against the wall. This was awful! Even though he would never admit it, he’d grown quite attached to the little urchin over the years and it hurt him to know that this situation had also affected her. As the devil he obviously knew a thing or two about punishment, and he knew that she deserved anything but that after what had happened.

What had he done! He’d gone back to keep his nephew and the Detective safe, but she’d lost her way and he didn’t recognise her anymore. What could he do? If he stayed and tried to help her the Demons could seize this opportunity and they’d be right back to where they bloody started. Yet how could he go back knowing that any one of these vices could kill her or get her killed.

He couldn’t take either of these decisions lightly; he needed a drink and time to regroup.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Devil goes to his penthouse to evaluate his options.

The lift door pinged open and Lucifer was greeted with the sight of empty whisky and vodka bottles scattered across the floor. The Detective’s clothes were sprawled everywhere and there was a smell of stale pizza and old Chinese takeaway that seemed to fill the penthouse. Maze must have told his staff to let her live here. He imagined it was in some small part, her way of trying to make up for the fact that she had been one of the main causes of this happening in the first place.

OK, if he was quick enough, he could clean up this mess and be gone before Chloe got back. He walked to the bar and opening a cupboard, reached in and grabbed a roll of bin bags, pulling one off. The amount of rubbish strewn across his penthouse was more than he originally thought and filled more than 10 bags. He was just putting the last empty bottle into a bin bag when the lift pinged open. Chloe’s eyes widened as she stood frozen in place. “Lucifer?” she gasped. She must be dreaming, either that or seeing some sort of alcohol induced hallucination.

He stopped, looking up at her, “Hello Detective.”

It WAS him. She cried as she ran towards him. He dropped the bag and opened his arms wide as she came hurtling towards him. In her eagerness she threw her arms around him and held him, that he had to put a foot behind him to steady himself. She felt warm and safe within his strong arms. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose taking in the scent of him, he smelt like Dior Sauvage and ash. Yes it was really him.

Holding her body against his took the devil back to that first moment of realisation that what they had was real. It was when they had rescued the two students from a psychopathic scientist bent on showing that given a certain situation a person would almost always pick the selfish option. His final attempt to prove his theory was to leave them the choice of pursuing him or rescuing two students trapped in a chamber within a larger room filled with poisonous gas. There was no choice to be made, instead Chloe chased after the scientist and once she was far enough away, Lucifer walked through the noxious gases and rescued the two students.

After the scientist had ended his own life, she’d run back calling out for him, afraid that he had succumbed to the poison. When he’d answered her as he walked down the campus steps, he could see the look of concern on her face turn to relief. She hugged him and, in that moment, where he held her in his arms their heads gently leaning on each other's life had been so blissfully simple. What they had…the way they felt about each other was real, this was no manipulation by his father. How he longed for that now, but so much had changed since then and he knew he had to leave. He tried to let her go but he couldn’t. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Well, I thought I’d grab a quick drink after making sure a couple of delinquent demons made their way back home, but after seeing the state of this place…” he looked around, “I thought I’d have a bit of a tidy up.”

She looked up at him, ashamed at the mess she’d made, “I’m sorry.”

He looked down at her smiling slightly, squeezing her a little tighter, “It’s OK.”

Chloe’s eyebrows furrowed as she realised what he’d just said. He’d come back up for Demons? She thought they’d disappeared when Lucifer went full Devil on them, it seemed odd that they’d suddenly pop up so many months after he’d gone back. He was either getting lazy in his position or… he just wanted to see her, it wouldn’t have taken much to find out where she’d be. She laughed at the fact he’d gone to this much effort to make it look like them meeting was a surprise.

“Whatever are you laughing at Detective?” He hoped she was OK and that seeing him again hadn’t sent her over the edge.

“Just that you must be starting to get lax in your duties as “King” if the Demons thought that they could ignore your orders.”

If there was one thing that Lucifer hated it was his work ethic being called into question. “How dare you! I must admit that the first few months were hard…”  _ Bollocks!  _ He knew as soon as he’d said the words that he shouldn’t have.

“Wait a minute, you’ve been back before and didn’t think it might be nice to come and visit your “first love”?”

“I thought it would be too painful for you.”

She shoved him away, “For me?” So not only had he been up before and not come to see her, he couldn’t admit that it would be just as painful for him as it would be for her if it happened. “Do you have ANY idea how much it hurt when you left…how lost I felt without you in my life.” She choked back the tears. OK that was it, he had obviously tried to avoid her at all costs, so she didn’t want to waste another second thinking about or being anywhere near him.

He went to stop her from leaving but she pushed him away, “Leave me alone Lucifer, I never want to see you again.” 

He tried again, this time managing to grab her arm, pleading with her, “Please De…Chloe don’t leave.”

She yanked his hand off her arm, “Get off me!”

Lucifer stood there stunned as Chloe stomped off, grabbing a bottle of Glenfiddich single malt from behind the bar as she headed towards the lift. He couldn’t let her leave, not like this. He sprinted towards the lift getting there just as the doors closed. “Dammit!” He slammed his fists into the doors leaving deep indents in the metal. He slowly pulled away his hands, looking down at his bruised knuckles. There was still time.

Chloe burst out the door of Lux, shoving her way through the people, she needed to get away. As far from Lux...Lucifer, EVERYTHING as physically possible. She found herself heading towards the valet of the club. “I need Lucifer’s Corvette. NOW!” Up to this point Chloe had not driven in months because she knew it would be wrong, but now she didn’t even care.

Unbeknownst to her, Maze had given strict instructions to all the staff that Chloe wasn’t allowed anywhere near any of Lucifer’s cars if they had  _ any _ suspicion that she might be drunk. The bottle of whiskey in her hand seemed like pretty solid proof that this was going to be the case. “Umm….I can’t…Maze…not allowed…”

“I don’t care what Maze said!!” she could feel herself slowly losing her calm, all her emotions fighting against each other, scrapping and clawing to be the victor. She just wanted the damn car! Anger won out as she grabbed the gun tucked into the back of her jeans, pointing it at his head. The boy nodded frantically as soon as he saw the weapon and whimpered as he ran off looking for the car. He came back and as soon as he’d gotten out of the car, she snatched the keys and got in, starting the engine.

Just then Lucifer ran out of the door and turned to see her in the Corvette, “Chloe, stop you’re in no fit condition to drive!” He tried to grab the side of the car but it slipped through his fingers as Chloe sped off down the road. He looked around at the growing queue outside his club eagerly waiting to have a night of fun. He couldn’t fly after her, there were too many people around.

He quickly turned around to his frightened valet, “Don’t just stand there, get me my Aston!” The boy stood there shaking, frozen in fear. Great! He was as useful as a chocolate teapot, “Hop to it man!” he shouted, glaring at him. This seemed to snap him out of it and he ran off returning with the car, “Thank you!” The boy got out, holding out the keys which Lucifer grabbed then hopped into the car, driving off in hot pursuit of the woman he loved. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Devil goes after the Detective he loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, let's see whether all those that had "a bad feeling" about what would happen in this chapter were justified to feel that way...

Chloe sped along the freeway the wind whipping through her hair, the bottle of Glenfiddich between her legs. As she weaved in and out of the cars she thought about Lucifer, she didn’t know what was worse, him leaving or the fact he’d been back without telling her. She took a large swig of whiskey then put it back. 

As she drove, lost in thought a blue Audi undercut her, she had to brake hard to make sure she didn’t go into the back of them, “Asshole!” She looked in the rear-view mirror only to see Lucifer was behind her and slowly gaining ground. Why didn’t he get the message and leave her alone! She pushed her foot down hard against the accelerator.

Lucifer watched, his heart in his throat as Chloe went through a red light onto an intersection where she narrowly missed cars coming from every which direction, leaving a trail of honking horns and crumpled cars in her wake. He’d wish she’d bloody stop so that they could talk!

Where could she go? It was then that she saw the sign for Mulholland Drive which was the next turning on the right. Maybe if she could get far enough ahead, she’d lose him, there wasn’t much lighting up there once you got past the luxury houses. She could stop somewhere and give herself time to think about what she wanted to do next. She veered right into the path of a grey station wagon, which had to brake harshly and followed the turning upward.

_ Bollocks! _ Thank Dad his driving instincts were still as sharp as ever as he just managed to dodge the car before colliding with it. It was then that he realised she’d just turned off. If he didn’t hurry, he’d miss it. He turned his steering wheel hard to the right, the wheels squealing, barely avoiding the oncoming cars. “Sorry! Sorry!” he shouted behind him. 

As Chloe passed the multitude of mansions, the reality of it all sank in. She knew she hadn’t seen Trixie in months but she was certain once she’d done this, she would never see her again. There was no turning back. She wished she’d been stronger that she’d at least tried to talk to someone about how she’d been feeling. She shook her head, they’d be better off without her, she’d start again, create a new life for herself somewhere else and they’d forget all about her.

_ Oh crap! _ Chloe looked around now observing that the well-lit mansions had been replaced with the near impenetrable darkness of the infamous Mulholland Highway. She’d meant to turn off about 5km back but she’d been distracted. She squinted her eyes with the only sources of light being her headlights, and the reflection from the road studs and she knew what was coming, it was hard enough trying to drive this route in broad daylight! She slowed down slightly, gripping the steering wheel as she carefully navigated the sharp twists and turns of the road.

She didn’t know how long she’d been driving but she was pretty sure she saw the end of the highway in sight. Just then she hit a bump in the road, knocking the bottle of whiskey from in between her legs onto the floor, the liquid slowly seeping into the carpet. Shit! She reached down to grab it, but it slipped through her fingers. She tried again, looking down briefly to see where it had fallen. She looked up just in time to see the barrier for a hair pin bend, before she could react the car crashed into the barrier sending it spinning. Oh God, she didn’t want to die! She tried her best to turn the steering wheel against it but it was no use, the car slammed into the hill, flipping it onto its right side.

Chloe tried to focus but the buzzing in her ears was unbearable, the only thing she could see were the strange white spots in her vision, no matter how hard she tried to blink them away. Her nose throbbed, the blood streaming, sliding down her cheek. The only thing that seemed to be preventing her from falling was her seatbelt, now if she could just move her feet… _ Dammit!  _ She fought to move her legs to see if that would free them but it was no use. It was then that she noticed the noxious smell of gasoline slowly growing in the air. She needed to get out of the car now, but how?! She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself, so she could come up with some sort of plan but it felt like she was being stabbed by a million tiny daggers.

Lucifer had heard the crash before he’d seen it, the squealing of the tyres and the sickening thud and crunch of metal as the car hit the hill. As he came racing around the corner, he braked hard, his heart still racing, terrified at what might be awaiting him.  _ Bloody Hell! _ His Corvette looked like someone had come along and flicked it over like it was nothing more than a chess piece and the front well…it was a crumpled mess. He leapt from the Aston running towards the car. Chloe’s knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel, she was shaking, her face covered in cuts and grazes with her nose at an odd sort of angle, but she was alive. The strong gasoline fumes filled his nose, she wouldn’t be for much longer if he didn’t act quickly. “Can you move at all Detective?”

“My feet…they’re trapped Lucifer…I can’t get out.” She said breathlessly.

“Stay there Detective.”

She rolled her eyes, even though it hurt, what else could she do?

He crawled over the passenger door, the car creaking in protest, he needed to be careful not to put too much weight down, the last thing he wanted was the Corvette falling over on top of them. He slowly got up, covering his left eye with the back of his hand so that the Detective’s blood didn’t go into it and looked to his right to see what the problem was. Her feet appeared to be wedged under the pedals, there was only one thing for it, he reached over peeling them back, but as he did Chloe let out an agonising scream. 

“Detective!”

The way her feet had been trapped must have numbed the pain, but now it was excruciating, she gritted her teeth breathing through it. “I’m OK Lucifer, just get me out of here.” 

He slowly undid her seat belt, gently putting one arm under her knees and the other around her back, lifting her off her seat and onto him, he could see black smoke creeping upward from the crushed remains of the bonnet. He turned her round, then hooked his arms under her armpits and shuffled backwards pulling her out after him. As he got her away from the car a roaring fire burst from the car.

Lucifer panicked, they weren’t far enough away! 

“Get back NOW!” he roared, the flames themselves seeming to cower at the sound of his voice.

“OK let’s get you out of here, shall we?” He smiled as he looked down at her.

“Detective?  _ Detective! _ ” Her eyes were turned inward and he couldn’t tell if she was breathing or not. No, he wouldn’t lose her, not again and certainly not like this! He looked around frantically trying to figure out what to do next. The only sources of light were coming from the headlights of his Aston. This wouldn’t do, if he flew now, he’d be flying blind.  _ That was it!  _ He put his arm under her knees, picking her up and using the other to hold her against him. Unfurling his wings, he flew upwards. When he thought he was far enough away, he stared down at the Corvette, his eyes fixed on the bonnet, “RISE!” The fire that had been frightened into submission by Lucifer heard his command and a blazing fire ball burst from the car. He immediately turned his back, sheltering Chloe against any errant flames. That ought to do it! He tried to think where he could go, he couldn’t exactly plonk himself down in front of a hospital without raising a few eyebrows.  _ Wait a minute _ …he thought, there was that ex-army doctor, now world-renowned emergency surgeon who owed him a favour and he didn’t live too far from here. He readjusted his hold on Chloe so that he could reach into his jacket pocket for his cell phone and dialled the number, as it rang, he put it between his shoulder and his ear, “Hello Dylan, yes Lucifer Morningstar here, I think now is the perfect time for you to repay your debt to me. I need you to contact some of your best doctors and ask that they meet you as soon as possible at your residence with all the medical supplies they can get their hands on. I’ll be there in 10.” He hung up the phone tucking it back into his jacket pocket. He looked around for a minute trying to get his bearings then flew furiously towards the surgeon’s house hoping it wasn’t too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes...yes they were. Sorry...kind of.
> 
> Also on another sad note:
> 
> RIP   
> Lucifer's Corvette  
> 2011-2019  
> You served the Devil well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath of Chloe's crash is finally revealed....

Chloe opened her eyes, the world gradually coming into focus as she heard the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor and saw the sun shine in through the half open blinds. She slowly turned her head finding Lucifer sitting next to her smiling.

“Well hello there Detective. I know I'm one to talk but I think it would be best if you didn't drink and drive in the future, I'd fear for the fate of my other cars if you managed to get your hands on them while smashed."

She rolled her eyes,  _ Typical Lucifer, he always had a way with words!  _ It was then that the events of the previous night slowly seeped in, “Oh no, you’re corvette, I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, it's just a car, but you on the other hand I don't know what I would have done if..." but the more he thought about it the more certain he became. He would have burnt down the very gates to the Silver City to get her back, Dad be damned. He smiled, gazing lovingly into her eyes as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, "...but you're OK Detective and that's all that matters."

She tried to prop herself up but winced gripping her side.

Lucifer put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her down gently, "I wouldn't do that if I were you Detective, you'll pull out your stitches."

"Stitches?"

"Yes it was touch and go for a while, one of the ribs you broke punctured your lung and they had to put in a chest tube to reinflate it. You've also broken your nose and have some fancy footwear to boot."

Chloe lifted her head slightly to look down to the end of the bed and realised that both of her feet were in casts, propped up by pillows.

Lucifer's eyes followed hers, "Yes you don't do things by halves Detective, you have fractures in both your feet. You had an exceptionally bad one in your right, and they had to fuse some of the bones together. The Doctors have said with the right sort of physio you may only end up with a slight limp. Luckily for you I’ve hired the best physiotherapists in LA to help aid in your recovery. They’ve also agreed to do the sessions wherever they’re needed.”

In Chloe’s mind there was no doubt where she would be staying, “So Lux then.” What smile Chloe had faded when she saw the serious look on Lucifer’s face.

“No...not Lux”

“Where else can I stay? I’ve lost my house, I've got nowhere else to go!”

“The Hills Treatment Center.”

_ Unbelievable!  _ “You want me to go to rehab? What are you just gonna dump me there and disappear all over again!?" She blinked, trying to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks as well as the painful memories that this brought back to the surface. Walking out of the lift and into his abandoned penthouse, white cloth draped over everything or the fading sound of his wings flapping as he flew back to Hell, leaving her all alone staring out from his balcony, "You don’t even believe in rehab!” she cried, tears streaming down her face.

“I don’t, but you do... _ did _ once.” It was hard to see her like this so angry and hurt, he hoped one day she’d be able to forgive him for all of this, “I’ve seen what my absence has done to you, to those close to you. You need to get help, not just for you but for them." He heard a familiar voice slowly getting louder as they walked down the hospital corridor, "And I'm hoping this will convince you." he said turning his head towards the door.

Trixie’s eyes lit up as she saw who was sitting next to her Mom. She ran towards him swinging her arms around him, “Lucifer!”

He looked at her trying to hide his smile, he couldn’t give away that he may well have missed this little urchin as much as she had him, “Hello Child.”

She looked up grinning at him, “We all missed you _...especially  _ mom.” 

He looked back to Chloe, who was trying to look away, “I know...I missed her too.”

Trixie looked at her mom then back to Lucifer. The relationship between Lucifer and her mom had always confused her. She always knew they liked each other more than friends, the way they’d look at each other, the way her mom would smile even when he said something silly that made her roll her eyes. No one had ever made mom smile like that not Dad and definitely not Pierce. Each time she’d think that Lucifer was going to be mom’s boyfriend; after he’d saved her life by dying and going back to Hell to get the cure to save her, the weird necklace he’d got her or the prom he’d thrown just for her something would happen. One of them would run away or get with someone else. It was so stupid, that they couldn’t see what was right in front of their faces, if they had they would have been a couple  _ ages  _ ago! “So this means your back now right?”

“Ummm…”

Dan, who'd been standing at the doorway, walked in, putting his hand on Trixie’s shoulder, “OK Trix, that’s enough questions.”

Trixie let go of Lucifer and looked up at her Dad, “But that’s the first question I asked him.”

Lucifer tried to suppress a laugh, she was extremely smart for someone so young.

“Trixie, Lucifer is probably tired from staying up so late with your mom, why don’t we let him get home and you can ask him again later.” He looked at Lucifer and could tell he was glad to have dodged that particularly painful bullet even if it was temporarily.

“But Daaad!” she pleaded.

Lucifer got up from his seat, patting her on the back, "I'll see you soon Urchin."

"She will?"

He looked up to see the Detective staring back at him, "Yes she will." What he saw in her eyes broke his heart; it was the same look she'd given him when she thought they'd won the war against the Demons.  _ Hope. _

Seeing the moment that had just passed between her mom and Lucifer Trixie rolled her eyes.  _ Grown ups were so weird! _

He could feel the tears building up in his eyes, he had to leave now before they broke free. He went over and squeezed the detective's hand which she squeezed back, "I'll see you soon."

"Promise?"

He lifted her hand kissing it, his eyes never leaving hers, "I promise." he nodded slightly at Daniel as he walked into and along the corridor. 

Dan leant down to his daughter, “Trixie you mind staying with your mom a minute while I go talk to Lucifer?”

“Yeah, that’s fine Dad.”

“Thanks Trix I’ll be back soon.” He looked out into the corridor seeing him just walk around the corner.  _ Dammit!  _ He ran up the corridor, “Lucifer!” He turned around the corner to see Lucifer waiting for him, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes Daniel?"

Dan stood there, slowly getting his breath back trying to think of what he wanted to say to him. Part of him was furious at Lucifer and wanted to rip him a new one for abandoning Chloe but the other part…

Lucifer had rung him late last night saying that Chloe was in surgery after being seriously injured in a car crash. Despite his protests Lucifer had assured him it would be best if he stayed with Trixie and he would make sure to keep him updated. It was one of the hardest things he had to do to tell Trixie that her mom was in the hospital again, but she seemed happier when she found out that Lucifer was with her. 

When he’d woken up this morning he’d found a voicemail on his phone saying that the surgery had been a success and now that she was recovering she could have visitors. While they waited at the Reception desk to ask which room Chloe was in, one of the Doctors who recognised them from one of Chloe's previous visits walked over to them. Once he’d sent Trixie off to get snacks he was told that if it hadn’t been for Lucifer getting her to one of LA's finest trauma surgeons who lived near the accident for urgent medical attention then to hospital that she would have...he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, when he thought about it no matter how pissed off he was at this asshole, there was only one thing he could say to him, "Thank you."

Lucifer smiled benevolently at him, nodding slightly, before walking off up the corridor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, fluff!! And is that maybe a teeny tiny bit of hope?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer looks back over the last few months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a short chapter but the next one will make up for that.

Lucifer paced back and forth in his penthouse anxiously awaiting the arrival of his brother. 

The last six months had flown by. First on his list had been to pay her "boss" a "special visit". Suffice to say he would not be darkening the Detective's door ever again.

It had taken a while for Chloe to let her guard down again but once she had...Lucifer smiled thinking over what they'd done.

They were obviously limited with what they could do with her being in rehab, but after a few months, when the facility could see she was doing well she was awarded special "privileges". 

They'd eaten at the finest Thai and Italian restaurants in the area, had picnics in Coldwater Canyon Park all without any interruptions, it would have been perfect if it hadn't been for one thing. He still had to rule Hell. 

He managed it quite well at first, spending an equal amount of time on Earth as he did in Hell but gradually it became more and more unbalanced. The demons could tell he was growing more and more conflicted the longer he stayed on Earth compared to Hell and he started to neglect his duties as King. 

They began to push their luck and there'd been several extremely close calls including one particularly distressing incident a week ago. 

He closed his eyes, sighing he’d thought long and hard about this and there was only one way he could see that would keep Chloe safe.

The lift door pinged open and Amenadiel walked in. 

“Ah excellent you’re here.”

Amenadiel walked over to his nicer putting a hand gently on his shoulder, “What’s the matter Luci, you seemed troubled on the phone.”

“Not really, I've finally come to a decision about what needs to happen between the Detective and I...I don't think she'll react well. I don't think I've ever asked anything of you brother but now is as good a time as any. I need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! What won’t Chloe like Lucifer?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Detective's last day of rehab, but will the Devil be there to take her home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is guys, the FINAL chapter of this story! 
> 
> Buckle in, it's gonna be a bumpy ride...

As she collected the last of her things, she looked at the entrance and her sense of unease grew. He said he’d be here when she got out, where was he? 

The Receptionist had tried to ring Lucifer’s cell phone multiple times but it was never answered. 

Her mind wandered back in time. It had taken her a while to get used to the idea that he wouldn’t just up and leave, she’d refused his visits at first but he’d been persistent...stubborn. Her fondest memory was of Lucifer taking them to Coldwater Canyon Park, they'd walked to a secluded spot with the best view, high above the trees and when they got there, there was a navy blue woollen picnic blanket laying on the grass and on top of it a wicker picnic basket. She smiled as she thought about opening and getting out the “fine feast” he’d prepared which had included peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mini powdered donuts and cool ranch puffs amongst other things. 

They’d spent hours there talking and laughing and when it had gotten colder he’d draped his jacket over her shoulders, and he’d held her close, their heads leaning against each other as they watched the sun go down between the hills. 

That hadn’t been the only talking she'd done. The mandatory therapy sessions at the centre had really helped her. She’d talked about how when she got in too deep at a gambling den, unable to pay her mounting debts, due to the loss of her job, the head, knowing her previous employment, had offered her a deal. He would clear her debt with him if she agreed to become an enforcer for him. It had been perfect, taking out all her anger and pain over Lucifer on those that refused to give her what was required. Only problem was that it didn't stop the gambling. Her new boss was no idiot and saw a way to get more out of her so offered her an amendment to their deal. Continue being his enforcer and he would offer her a payment, a large percentage being free credit to use at the den, the rest in the form of money to use for clothes and food. And so it was, an endless cycle of beating down people that owed her boss money during the day, fast food, going through her credit like it was nothing at night, and in most cases eating into the money for food. It had hurt but also felt good to finally let it all out (with some things she for  _ obvious reasons _ had to omit), Lucifer had told her that the crime boss, “wouldn’t be bothering her again”, and like the others had said, she just had to make sure she had the right support system in place for when she got out. Well now she was on better ground with her friends and family and had Luc...

“Ms Decker.”

She snapped out of the moment, “Yes?” and realised the Receptionist was talking to her. 

“My colleague told me that yesterday before he left he gave her this.” She handed Chloe an envelope.

She opened it slowly, afraid of what she might find. In it there was a set of house keys, some cash and a note, she unfolded it, her hands shaking.

_ I’m sorry. _

_ Lucifer _

_ No,no, no, no, NO!?  _ She scrunched up the piece of paper throwing it onto the floor. She turned to the Receptionist, “I need you to order me an Uber.” Within 15 minutes it arrived, she shoved her bags in the boot and got in. As soon as the door closed the driver turned his head around, 

“Where to Lady?”

_ This was  _ _ not _ _ happening, not again _ , “Lux”

She sat in the back of the car, silent looking down and fidgeting. It was fine she’d get to Lux, there had to be a reasonable explanation.

When they arrived at the towering building she got out, closing her eyes as she took a shaky breath in and out,  _ please be here,  _ _ please! _

She walked into the foyer and paused in front of the door that would open out into Lux. She opened it and all she saw was darkness, no bar staff making cocktails or staff cleaning or preparing for that evening. She put her head in her hands and cried, he’d gone, just like Vegas all over again. Chloe looked at the bar, her eyes staring at the different types of alcohol, it would be so easy to just walk behind and grab any one…. _ NO!?  _ She would  never do that again, because there’d been more than one person that had visited her at Rehab, Dan had brought Trixie to visit her and it had been wonderful to see her and hug her again. She may have lost Lucifer but she was not losing her daughter. She got out the keys that she’d put in her pocket, she just needed to figure out which of Lucifer’s  _ many  _ properties they belonged to.

Maybe if she could find a cop outside they might be able to get a hold of Dan who could help her figure out what to do next. As she walked out she stopped for a moment turning as she wiped away the tears, “Goodbye Lucifer.”

Just then the spotlight clunked on and she saw a Lucifer sitting at the piano smiling back at her,

_ At last  _

_ My love has come along _

_ My lonely days are over _

_ And life is like a song _

_ Oh yeah yeah _

_ At last _

_ The skies above are blue  _

_ My heart was wrapped up in clover _

_ The night I looked at you _

_ I found a dream, that I could speak to _

_ A dream that I can call my own _

_ I found a thrill to press my cheek to _

_ A thrill that I have never known... _

Chloe strode over to him getting ready to hit him hard, “You son of a…!”

As she swung her arm, he caught her wrist with his hand, "Wait! Before you hit me, let me explain." 

She huffed, glaring at him.  _ This better be good _ !

Lucifer tried to look at her but couldn't do it for long, he wished he knew how she’d react! “Well I was showing Amenadiel around, the changes I'd made since he was last there, and I ummm lost track of time.”

“Wait..What!?”  _ What the Hell was he talking about!  _ “Where!?”

_ Here we go..  _ “Hell...I was showing him around Hell.”

She was so confused, “Why?”

“The demons need consistency in their miserable little lives.They  _ must _ have a king, but who says it has to be the same king ALL the time and what’s better than those that would do anything to protect the ones they love.” 

“So you’re both going to rule at the same time?” _Oh_ _her_ _head_ _hurt!_

“No we’re going to, what do you call it “take shifts”, one month on Earth each. Amenadiel already spoke to Linda and she’s agreed it would be best for everyone. We’ve already suffered enough.”

“So...after each shift...you’ll...you’ll come back?”

“Yes, I will..Chloe.”

Chloe’s legs gave way, Lucifer grabbed her just in time and sat her beside him on the piano stool. 

“Got you! I know it’s not ideal but...Chloe are you OK?”

Overwhelmed with emotion she grabbed him, pulling him close as she burst out crying.

“Chloe?” Even after all these years he still didn’t fully grasp the wide spectrum of emotions a human could feel.

She nodded, sniffing and wiping the tears away with her sleeve.

Lucifer gave a sigh of relief.  _ Thank Dad for that!  _ He clapped his hands together, “Right we have to get ready for the festivities.”

“Festivities?”

“Bollocks, I wasn’t supposed to say anything, well as the secrets out…” he reached into his inner jacket and got out the remote and pressed the button.

The club was flooded with light and Chloe gasped, everywhere she looked there were giant “Welcome Home” signs which included an especially glittery one, “Aww is that Trixie’s?”

Lucifer laughed, “Actually that one was done by our very own Ms Lopez.” 

Chloe blushed, "Oh." 

"I can understand why'd you think it was created by your offspring though."

"You do?"

"Well it looks like it was drawn by a child and Ms Lopez is like a child."

"Lucifer!"

"No! What I mean is she sort of has that ridiculous optimism of a child and the propensity to give inescapable hugs."

"Aww that's sweet Lucifer."

"It's the truth."

"We really do have to get ready, come on."

They headed towards the stairs and up into the lift.

“I hope you don't mind, as you weren't able to as you were umm... indisposed I took the liberty of buying you a dress for the occasion.”

The lift pinged open and they walked into the Penthouse, "I'm not sure if you'll want to take a shower but I've bought some toiletries and makeup that I think would go perfectly with the dress."

They walked up the steps to his bedroom.

"Thank Lucifer, where is the...um dress."

He pointed towards his wardrobe, "It's in there Detective."

She grinned as she went towards it opening the door just enough to take a peek.  _ Oh no! _

"Umm Lucifer I'm wearing things that might not quite go with this sort of dress."

"Don't worry, I thought of that too, I've put some nice lace underwear that will match the dress in the bathroom."

"How the Hell do you know my…" Chloe stopped herself mid-sentence. If he could figure out that one of his one night stand's dresses would fit it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to underwear, especially as he'd seen her naked….twice. "Never mind."

Lucifer unphased carried on, "I'll get ready out here, and if you wish to have some privacy when you get dressed I can finish off in the living area."

Once Chloe had showered and dried off she shouted out to Lucifer, "OK, I'm coming out."

"OK Chloe."

When she left the bathroom she saw a set of curling tongs, straighteners and a hair dryer.  _ He really had thought of everything! _

Just as Lucifer was about to tie his bow tie for his tux when he heard Chloe call out to him, "I can't zip this dress to the top do you mind giving me a hand?"

"I'll be up in a second."

He tied his bow tie and walked up the steps, where Chloe had her back to him. 

He moved over to her, he tried not to pay too much attention as he wanted to see the complete picture. As he slid the zip up he caught the scent of givenchy perfume he'd bought her.  _ She smelled so good!  _ His hand moved up, gently sliding his finger down her neck as he had an almost overwhelming urge to kiss her.

Chloe moaned as his touch sent shivers down her spine, "Lucifer" 

Lucifer shook his head snapping himself out of it. No matter how much he wanted it, now was not the time, they were already running late. He cleared his throat, "There we go. Let’s see if my  _ extraordinary _ dress sense has paid off.”

He stepped back to see how he’d done, “Wow, you look...stunning.”

She laughed awkwardly looking down at her feet as she tucked some of her straightened hair behind her ear. 

He’d definitely chosen well when he picked out the crimson off the shoulder tulle dress. The embroidered sleeves showed off her elegant arms and with the dress stopping at her knees he could admire those lovely legs of hers. There was just one thing missing…

“Lucifer where are the shoes to go with the outfit?”

He smiled at her, “I wondered when you’d notice, give me a minute.”

He went to his wardrobe reaching up to a shelf, “Here we go.” 

He handed the shoe box to Chloe who opened the lid, “Oh Lucifer they’re beautiful” she took a shoe out admiring the beautiful black leather kitten heel shoe, then something caught her eye and she turned the shoes over, “Red soles, like your shoes,” she laughed.

“Yes I had a nice chat with Mr Louis Vuitton and he agreed to make these for me, they even have a special insole, to help with your feet.” 

“Thank you, would you mind putting them on? I'm afraid to bend over in this dress.”

“Of course.”

She put the shoe back in the box and handed it to him, he pulled the tops of his trouser legs up before getting down on one knee and taking out the shoes. He carefully lifted her right leg before slipping on one of the shoes. She looked down at him and couldn’t help but smile, the person who for the briefest of moments she’d thought of as the Prince of Darkness had turned out to be her Prince Charming. Once the first shoe was on she moved her other foot closer so he could put the other on.

Lucifer got up brushing off his trousers, “...we really have to go, the party won’t get started without us.”

Chloe started to feel more apprehensive the closer she got to the lift, when she thought of the party, her mind wandered to what would be served, the limitless amount of alcohol that could be consumed and was openly on display. 

Lucifer saw the troubled look on Chloe's face, "Are you OK?"

"Not really," she said, fidgeting with her hands.

He put a hand over hers, "Can I help at all, I don't like seeing you like this."

"It's just all the temptation down there."

“Well as you know I know a little about temptation, I knew when this party was organised that you would struggle so I’ve made temporary changes to Lux. For tonight there will be no alcohol served and it will be providing a wide array of the finest mocktails in LA; Nojitos, Beach Blanket Bingo and my personal favourite; Cuddles on the Beaches, which reminds me…” He pressed the button to call the lift. 

“As Amenadiel has the first shift I’d like to ask what you’d like to do during this first month. I can hire a private jet and we could go anywhere you desired; the beaches of Bora Bora, Paris to see the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre or perhaps the Great Pyramid of Giza…”

The lift pinged open, and Chloe remained silent, maybe he’d moved too quickly, “Or maybe that could be for another time.”

Chloe gave Lucifer a half smile, “I think that might be best, I just need to get used to the idea that…”

“I’ll be coming back?”

Chloe nodded slowly, gently putting a hand on his arm, "Maybe we could start off with something small like day trips to the beach or more sunset picnics," she smiled affectionately at Lucifer.

"That sounds lovely and then work up to weekends away and who knows, perhaps in time maybe Daniel might allow us to take the urchin..."

Chloe laughed in shock.

"What is it, did I say something wrong?"

"You'd want to take trips... _ with Trixie? _ "

"Well I-I know she is of great importance to you Detective, so I just thought if we were going to make a proper go of this that I should make an effort and in time maybe she would see me as...a Step Devil of sorts. Unless that's a bad idea," he sighed, "it's a bad idea isn't it?"

She looked up at him fondly, "No Lucifer, that sounds  _ wonderful _ ."

She knew she'd made the right decision by the warm fuzzy feeling she got and the way her boyfriend's face lit up like a kid at Christmas.

“It's great to talk about our future together but, and I feel awful asking this, where will I be going after the party has ended?" The thought of staying at Lux made her chest tighten with the knowledge that there would be a bar only a few feet away from the bedroom. 

"You've still got the keys I left you?”

Chloe nodded.

“I was going to drive us up to my apartment in the Hills, I had one of the spare rooms prepared for you. I didn't want to assume that we would be sharing the same bed. It has the best views of the hills when the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening." He hoped she would stay with him but he was ready for all possibilities, "If that isn't suitable then I can always get you a room at the Ritz-Carlton."

"No!" she shouted. If she was only getting one month with him she wasn't going to spend any of it away from him.

He smiled, letting out a sigh of relief, "Mine it is." 

The lift door pinged open and Chloe saw Dan, Trixie, Linda and the gang all dressed and excited to welcome Chloe back.

“Ready?” he held out his hand which Chloe then took in hers.

She gazed into her eyes as she smiled back at him, “Ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww a happy being after the onslaught of angst I gave you in this fic! 
> 
> Thank you again old and new readers alike for joining me in this journey.
> 
> I've got a fair few WiPs, but only a few I'm currently working on and they are *sigh* ones with Michaella. Urgh, stupid plot bunnies! They will have teensy bits of Deckerstar though.
> 
> I think the above and the others will be coming out 2021, so from me to you I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll see you on the other side! 😁😈


End file.
